Little prep, long trip tests Chaps' mettle

Sunday

Jan 29, 2017 at 7:55 PM

Don Williams

The Lubbock Christian University men did themselves a big favor Saturday, posting a 79-72 home victory against Dallas Baptist, which came into the Rip Griffin Center alone in first place in the Heartland Conference.

That was just the start of a tough, potentially season-defining stretch. The game Saturday was the first of four in eight days for LCU, made harder by a rescheduled game. The Chaparrals and Lady Chaps boarded the bus early Sunday for a 507-mile trip to Wichita, Kansas, where they’ll face Newman in a doubleheader at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Monday. Then they’ll drive back overnight and get ready for home games Thursday against Texas A&M International and Saturday against St. Mary’s.

"It’s a good test for us, I think," said Chaps forward Tyler Rogers, a senior from Frenship. "It’ll kind of determine if we want to be a good team or a great team."

Monday’s not a normal playing date for the Heartland Conference. The LCU-Newman games were postponed from Jan. 14 because of icy travel conditions.

The eight-day stretch is slightly less challenging for the Lady Chaps, who didn’t play Saturday because Dallas Baptist doesn’t have a women’s basketball program.

The two LCU teams stopped at former Sooner Athletic Conference rival Oklahoma City University to practice on Sunday before resuming the drive.

The Chaps (12-7, 6-3) are among a cluster of five teams within one game of each other at the top of the Heartland Conference standings. Texas A&M International, their opponent Thursday, leads at 14-7 and 8-3, and LCU’s victory Saturday dropped Dallas Baptist to 12-7, 6-3. Rogers State (14-7) and St. Edward’s (15-9) are right behind them with 7-4 conference records.

The Newman men come into Monday’s game at 6-13, 4-6. However, the Jets beat LCU 84-76 last year in Wichita and then, as the No. 7 seed in the conference tournament, beat No. 2 seed LCU again 81-79.

"That road trip to Newman, it’s tough, no matter what time of year it is," Rogers said, "whether it’s first game of conference or late in conference. We’ve got three games here the next week, and it’ll be a quick turnaround for each one. We’ve got to keep an attack mindset, a hungry mindset, and I think we’ll be good to go."

The Chaps are on a four-game winning streak, having won three in a row on the road before coming home and ending Dallas Baptist’s six-game winning streak. After Monday’s game, LCU plays six of its last eight regular-season games at home.

"I love playing at home," said sophomore center Brennen Fowler, who had 18 points and 12 rebounds Saturday. "We’ve got to do it some on the road. Go get after them on the road, just keep playing the way we are."